Learning how to explore spiritual aspects in encounters with patients with chronic pain: a pre-test post-test trial on the effectiveness of a web-based learning intervention.

Background: Integrating spiritual aspects into treatment plans can release essential resources for coping with chronic pain. However, some spiritual aspects may also induce distress and hinder the coping process. There is a lack of evidence regarding how to perform the clinical tasks of exploring spiritual aspects and of instruments assessing related competencies.

How to talk about dying? The development of an evidence-based model for communication with patients in their last days of life and their family caregivers.

Objective: To help healthcare professionals (HCP) act with more confidence when communicating about approaching death, we sought to develop a communication model for HCP to facilitate conversations with dying patients and family caregivers (FC) in nonemergency situations.

Methods: We used a four-phase integrative approach: (1) creation of a preliminary model based on a systematic literature review and expert knowledge, (2) review of the model draft by international palliative care experts, (3) review by key stakeholders, and (4) final appraisal by communication experts.

Results: After the clinical recognition of dying, the communication model provides a structure and practical communication aids for navigating the conversation based on three phases.

Development and evaluation of three-dimensional transfers to depict skin conditions in simulation-based education.

Modern medical moulages are becoming increasingly important in simulation-based health professions education. Their lifelikeness is important so that simulation engagement is not disrupted while their standardization is crucial in high-stakes exams. This report describes in detail how three-dimensional transfers are developed and produced so that educators will be able to develop their own.

Talking about dying and death: Essentials of communicating about approaching death from the perspective of major stakeholders.

Objectives: Although caring for dying patients and their family caregivers (FC) is integral to patient care, training in communication about approaching death is almost inexistent in medical and nursing curricula. Consequently, many health professionals have insufficient knowledge about conducting these conversations. In order to gain a broader insight into essential aspects of this communication from different perspectives, we conducted focus groups with key stakeholders.

"Telephone consultation for medical emergencies" - development, implementation and evaluation of a course in identifying and handling medical emergencies via telephone for 5 year medical students.

Advising patients seeking medical guidance while communicating with them via telephone is a highly relevant skill in clinical daily life. However, telephone consultations differ from face-to-face interactions: clinical examination is nearly impossible and visual signals cannot be observed. Thus, telephone consultations require specific skills training.

Using self and peer video annotations of simulated patient encounters in communication training to facilitate the reflection of communication skills: an implementation study.

The mandatory communication skills course for fourth-year medical students at the University of Bern Medical School aims to prepare students for challenging communication situations. Students role-play four different scenarios with simulated patients (SPs) and receive feedback from the patient's perspective. The scenarios are video-recorded and uploaded onto the University's virtual learning environment.

Delivering a geriatric OSCE station in times of Covid-19 using makeup artistry.

In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, people over 65 or suffering from certain conditions were deemed at high risk and asked to isolate themselves. This led to the simulated patient (SP) program at the University of Bern being depleted of middle-aged and elderly SP. Meanwhile, an OSCE had to be delivered using adapted cases that minimized physical contact between candidates and SP.

The Conversion of a Peer Teaching Course in the Puncture of Peripheral Veins for Medical Students into an Interprofessional Course.

Objective: There is a great interest on both a national and international level in promoting cooperation between different occupational groups within the healthcare professions through interprofessional education (IPE) [1], [2], [3]. Within this project, a peer teaching course on the puncture of peripheral veins was therefore converted from a course for medical students into an IPE learning unit. Students from different occupational groups were to learn within the context of this course, according to the definition from the World Health Organisation (WHO), with and from each other [1].